Honor of the Hart
by reilert79
Summary: Someone at Jonathan's office tries to sabotage his marriage and then a project, with dire consequences.
1. Chapter 1

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer was in the study, working on an article. The phone rang, so she reached over and answered it.

"Jennifer, Hi! It's Marcia. How are you?"

"I am fine, how are you?"

"Great. I was just calling to tell you some wonderful news".

"I am all ears".

"Well, that piece that you did on human trafficking, it made its way to the top, and got noticed by some influential people. And, Jennifer, you are being nominated for the Nelson Award".

"Me? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am serious. You are more than worthy of it, believe me".

"Wow. I cannot believe it".

"So, the winner will be picked in 2 weeks, and you will need to be in New York on the 18th of next month, for the ceremony."

"I will be there, for sure".

"If you win, and trust me, you have a really good chance, then you will have to prepare a speech".

"Ok. I can do that, maybe".

They chatted a little longer and then hung up. Jennifer was excited. She couldn't wait to tell Jonathan.

She decided to make one of his favorite meals for dinner, and had it ready for when he came home.

He got home around 5, and was happy to see her.

"Darling, we have something to celebrate".

"What's that?"

"Well, that piece I did on human trafficking was nominated for a Nelson award".

"Really? That's wonderful!"

He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her.

"I'm so proud of you".

He enveloped her into a passionate kiss, that he made last as long as he possibly could.

She rested her hands on his shoulders.

"So, darling. They are picking the winner in two weeks. And you and I have to go to New York on the 18th next month for the ceremony".

"We can stay at the Penthouse, we can make a long weekend of it, and we can do whatever you want to do".

He kissed her.

"Darling…I made your favorite for dinner".

"Oh? Which one of my favorite meals did you make me tonight?"

"Caprese stuffed chicken, chopped salad and brown rice".

"You sure know the way to my heart".

"I would think so, after 9 years of marriage".

He kissed her lightly a few times.

"It will be ready in about 20 minutes. We could have a cocktail while we wait…"

"I am all for that".

He went and made them a cocktail, and she went and set the table and got the salad ready and checked on dinner.

He came and joined her with her cocktail, and scratched her back as she was getting everything ready.

They had a nice dinner out on the patio, and he did the dishes while she went and took a bubble bath.

He came and joined her afterwards, and scrubbed her back and massaged it for her.

"Darling, how were your meetings today?"

"Ok I suppose. The board is upset with me over the North Coast deal. They keep threatening to veto my decisions. I might have to go to China and straighten this out with the supplier."

"What is the problem the board is having?"

"The supplier is having money issues, and has assured me that he is on an upswing. However, the board isn't convinced".

She leaned back against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Darling…in case I never told you….I always have the upmost faith in you".

He leaned forward and kissed her neck, and held her tight.

"Remind me to thank you properly".

They soaked a little longer, and then he got out and got them towels, and helped her out.

After they were dried off and in their robes, they settled on the bed and she sat behind him and gave him a back rub.

"Darling, can you come by the office tomorrow, say around 11? I want to make a speech to the board, and it will help if you are next to me".

"Sure".

"We can go to lunch afterwards".

"Even better".

She got him all nice and relaxed and then they switched for a bit.

Just as they were about to go to sleep, there was a huge clap of thunder and several flashes of lightning.

"Jennifer, you know what stormy weather does to me…"

"Yes, I think I might remember".

She leaned up and kissed him. "One of our very first trips away together, was to the cabin, in the rain".

"And it was one of the most romantic weekends we ever spent".

"How did it start?"

He rolled on top of her and wrapped her in his arms.

"Just like this".

***2 weeks later***

Jonathan was at the office, and Jennifer was at home, working on an article. She was deep into the research, and had barely looked up in hours.

The phone rang, and she absentmindedly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Jennifer, Hi! It's Marcia".

"Hi Marcia, listen, I am almost finished with my piece on the elementary school in Calabassas. I think you will love it- every single day, the teachers walk their students home, to keep them safe. It really is a very sweet little elementary school".

"That's great. I can't wait to read it. Listen, I am calling about the Nelson award".

"Oh?"

"You are one of the top three finalists. They will announce the winner at the ceremony. And that's the other thing we need to talk about. The ceremony is being held at the Plaza. And they overbooked. So, the ceremony is now next weekend, and not in 3 weeks."

"That's great! I can't wait. Will I see you there?"

"Oh yes. I have reserved a table for our crew. You, Jonathan, me, and the New York based journalists from the office will be there".

"Great! See you then".

Jennifer hung up.

She ran upstairs and showered and changed, and then headed to Jonathan's office.

She called his secretary on the way.

"Kelly, listen-don't tell Jonathan I am heading that way, and don't let him leave for lunch. I am surprising him and bringing lunch with me".

"Yes, Mrs. Hart".

"Thank you".

Jennifer called in a to go order from the Bistro, picked it up curbside, and headed to Hart Industries.

***Hart Industries***

Jennifer pulled into the parking garage and parked, and then went inside.

She got to Jonathan's office, and told Kelly to take an extra long lunch.

She went inside and found Jonathan and 2 other executives hard at work.

"Hi darling, I brought you lunch".

"Hi. Wish you had called me, we just ordered in".

"Oh. Well, that's alright. I will take it home, we can have it later".

He got up and hugged and kissed her.

"We need to talk, darling. Do you have a minute?"

"I really don't have one right now, we are swamped. Can we talk tonight when I get home?"

"Yes, it'll keep".

She kissed him again, and then headed out.

***Later that night***

Jennifer had prepared dinner, and got out their good candlesticks. She put on Jonathan's favorite nightgown and negligee, and had him a cocktail waiting. All she needed was him.

She was so excited about the Nelson award, and even if she didn't win, she was excited just to be going back to New York. She was going to hold him to no interruptions, no distractions while they were there.

She was sitting on the couch, waiting for him to come home when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi darling. Listen, we are still crunching numbers, so I called in an executive, Charlie. We are going to be at least another hour, I am sorry. I promise I will make it up to you".

"Alright. I will see you when you get here".

"I love you".

"I love you too".

She hung up the phone and made herself another cocktail.

She headed to the kitchen, and put the pasta shells back in the oven to keep warm.

She made herself a caprese salad to tide her over, and went to sit on the couch again.

She turned on the news to keep her company, and before she knew it, two and a half hours had passed. She finally went and made herself a plate, and ate alone.

She cleaned up the kitchen, and went upstairs, and took a hot bath. As she soaked, their bedroom phone rang.

"I am not answering it", she said out loud, to herself.

She waited for the 5 customary rings to stop, and for the answering machine to pick up.

As soon as it beeped, she heard Jonathan's voice.

"Hi darling. Guess you are asleep already. I am sorry, but we found some errors in the numbers, so I am going to be here all night. I love you, and I promise we will spend time together when I get home. I love you Red".

She heard it click as he hung up.

She let out a long sigh.

This was why they needed this New York trip. This was why she was going to push for no interruptions, no distractions, and really hold him to it. She was going to insist that he not tell anyone at the office where they were going.

She climbed out of the bath, dried off, and got ready for bed.

She climbed into bed all alone, and turned out the light.

***The next day***

Jonathan stumbled to his office at Hart Industries. He had spent the night at Charlie's apartment, and they had shared a few drinks while they were working. The mistake had been minor, but they had to correct the math in all of the numbers columns going forwards, and that was very time-consuming. He could have assigned someone to do it, but he wanted to show the board that he cared enough to do it himself. This morning, he had a horrible hangover from too much scotch, and he was really aching to see Jennifer.

He went into his office and showered and changed into a fresh suit, and sent the old one to the cleaners.

He had Kelly bring him some coffee, and then he ordered in breakfast for him, and Charlie and the other executives.

He called the house, but Jennifer didn't answer.

He figured he would take off early today and go home to her and spend the whole night with her.

He thought back to the previous night. There was a chunk of time that he couldn't account for. He remembered taking his tie off while they worked and rolling up his sleeves. He remembered them sitting on the couch, going over the numbers and having some scotch. And he certainly remembered waking up in Charlie's guest room this morning, but that was all.

Charlie came in then, and shut the door.

"Hello, Mr. Hart".

"Hi, Charlie. I wanted to tell you thank you for your hospitality last night. I appreciate it and how hard you are working on this".

"No thanks necessary, I enjoy working with you so closely, you are an excellent businessman".

Charlie went and sat over on the corner of his desk. She crossed her legs seductively, and stared at him with her piercing green eyes.

"I really admire you, Mr. Hart".

"Oh, why's that?"

"Because you always get what you want. And so do I. Last night was just the beginning".


	2. Chapter 2

***Chapter 2***

***Hart Industries***

"Charlie, I am happily married. That isn't going to change. Not for you, not for anyone. I asked you to come to my office so we could continue working, not for any other reason".

Charlie hopped off his desk, and nodded.

She went to the table and started working. There was a very present awkwardness between them.

The other executives arrived, and everyone got to work while they ate.

They had made a good headway into fixing this by lunch time, so Jonathan was confident that they would be able to finish by dinner, and leave at a regular hour.

It had been almost 48 hours since Jonathan had seen Jennifer.

He was having a hard time concentrating on fixing the numbers, he was constantly thinking about her.

He tried the house again during lunch, and again, got no answer.

He got back to work on the numbers and the merger, and decided he was heading home the minute they were done.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer had received several hang up calls in the middle of the night, so she finally just turned the phones off, so she could sleep.

She was working on her article most of the day. She decided she wasn't going to cook dinner for Jonathan, because the last two times she had prepared a special meal for them, he hadn't wanted to share it with her.

If he came home tonight, it would be pizza and whatever he could find in the fridge.

She turned the phones back on around 2, so that she could call a source.

It was around 3 when she got the first phone call. It was breathy, and from a voice that she didn't recognize.

The caller was female, that part was clear.

And what they said was just as odd as the circumstances.

"Mrs. Hart, do you know where your husband was last night? Was it your bed he slept in, or mine?"

The caller hung up, before Jennifer could say anything.

They called back at 4 and said the same thing. This time, she was prepared, and recorded it.

She got back to work on her article and worked till Jonathan got home at 5.

He found her in the study, typing away.

"Hi".

"Hi darling".

She got up and kissed him. "How are you?"

"Good. Tired, but good".

"Great."

She sat back down at the desk, and resumed typing.

He walked over to her and stood behind her and put his arms on her shoulders.

"Jennifer, I'm sorry about last night. It couldn't be helped".

"It's alright. I understand".

He could tell she was doing that thing that she did when she was mad. The silent guilt trip.

"I love you, Jennifer".

"I love you too".

She kept typing.

"Think you can take a break for us to have a quiet dinner alone?"

"Sure. Just tell me when it's ready".

He leaned down and kissed her on the head.

She was right, he owed her that much, plus a lot more.

He picked up the phone and started to dial the number for La Scala.

"No, no no". Jennifer shook her head and wagged her finger at him.

"Darling, you love La Scala".

"I fixed dinner last night for you. I didn't order it, I made it".

"Ok, that's a good point".

She got up and went and made herself a glass of water.

He made her a cocktail, and then brought it to her in the kitchen.

He marinated a steak for himself and some chicken for Jennifer, and then threw together a salad and put them both a baked potato in the oven.

After he grilled the steak and chicken, he set the table and brought their plates to the table and held out her chair for her as she sat.

"Thank you".

"So, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Marcia called. I am a finalist for the Nelson, and they overbooked the Plaza where the ceremony is, so they moved it to this week. We have to be in New York in 3 days".

"That's great, darling".

He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Jonathan, when we go to New York-no interruptions, no distractions. I am serious."

He nodded. "Ok, I will put Stanley in charge. Or maybe Charlie".

"I got a very strange phone call today. 2 of them actually, but they both said the same thing".

"Who was it from?"

"Well, I don't know. I recorded it the second time though. The tape recorder is in the study".

He nodded.

"Probably just a prank caller".

"Darling, when I worked all night last night, it was at Charlie's house. And I slept in the guest room".

"I believe you, darling."

She did the dishes after dinner, and he went to the study to listen to the recording.

There was no doubt in his mind that was Charlie who had called.

He decided to wait and see if she did anything else, before confronting her. As soon as this project wrapped, he was going to transfer her to an office out of state.

They snuggled on the couch a bit and watched a movie. She was starting to soften towards him a little.

"Darling, if we get to New York on Friday, and we go to the ceremony on Saturday, how long can we stay in New York after the ceremony?"

"Probably till Wednesday, or so. Maybe late Tuesday night".

"And nobody at the office will know where we are?"

"Well, Jennifer…."

"Darling-it's the only way we will be able to ensure that we don't have any interruptions or distractions".

"I know. But they have to be able to get ahold of me in case of an emergency. The board isn't going to like it if I am just MIA".

"I understand that. But darling, is there truly an emergency that could come up that couldn't wait till you got back?"

"Not usually. But you never know…"

She sighed and gave up the fight. After the movie was over, she headed upstairs and got ready for bed while he locked up.

When he got upstairs, she was already in bed, and appeared to be asleep.

He changed into his pajamas, and joined her in bed, and put his arms around her.

***The next morning***

Jonathan was at his office, working on the merger. He was trying to avoid a trip to China.

Charlie came to his office, and had some files in her hand.

"Mr. Hart, can you help me with something?"

"Sure, Charlie, what is it?"

"This". She dropped the files and ripped her shirt open, revealing a pink lace bra underneath her gray blouse.

"I just can't concentrate knowing that you are what will make me happy, and that you are right down the hall from my office, needing me".

He stood up, removed her from her desk, and walked her towards the door.

"I already told you that I am happily married, and that isn't going to change. This was your last chance. I am afraid I am going to have to fire you, Charlie, for inappropriate behavior".

"You can't. You need me for this merger".

"We had mergers before you joined the firm, and we will have mergers after today, without you".

"But, I am the only one who knows the ins and outs of this merger".

"We will manage. You have till the end of the day to pack your things. Goodbye, Charlie".

She finished buttoning her blouse, and left his office.

Jonathan had a feeling that he hadn't seen or heard the last of Charlie Watkins.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer was packing her suitcase and getting Jonathan's things ready for him to pack himself.

She was so excited to spend 4 days in New York with her husband. She was having to decide on which gown to wear to the ceremony. She decided to take two and decide when she got ready. She chose a teal sequined sweetheart strapless gown, and a black sculpted halter gown with a rhinestone cluster in the center. She could wear black strappy stilettos with both of those, and then it was comfy clothes for the rest of the trip, plus a couple nice outfits in case they went to a really nice restaurant.

She spent the rest of the day working on her speech, and typed it out and put it in her carry on.

She was in the study around 3, when she got another phone call, like the one from the day before.

"Your husband wants me, I just know it. He wants me so bad…"

She hung up the phone, and called and got the number from the operator. Pay phone, in a parking garage. Damn.

She put it out of her mind, and started another article, and worked till about 4, when the phone rang again.

"Darling, how about dinner tonight at La Scala?"

"Perfect. Want me to pick you up?"

"Take a cab here, we can take my car to dinner."

"Ok. What time do you want me to get there?"

"How about an hour from now?"

"See you then".

"I love you".

"I love you too".

She blew him a kiss as she hung up the phone.

She went and spruced up and changed into a nicer outfit, and then called for a cab.

***Hart Industries***

Jennifer's cab pulled up to Hart Industries. She handed him some cash and went inside.

Jonathan was working at his desk.

"Hi darling".

She walked over to him.

"Hi darling. You are so lovely".

He pulled her in for a kiss.

"Did you have a good day?"

"I did. I got most of our packing done, and I wrote my speech, and I started another article".

"That sounds great. I am starved, you ready to go?"

"Whenever you are".

She took his hand and he led her out of the office.

Jonathan saw Charlie getting on the elevator with her box of things. Thankfully she didn't see him till the doors were closing. He stopped at Kelly's desk, and checked the calendar, to make sure she knew he was going to be out of the office.

"One second darling".

He went and monitored the security camera for a bit, and saw that Charlie was being escorted off the property.

He took Jennifer's hand and they headed to the elevator, and took it to the parking garage, and got in the car.

After a nice dinner at La Scala, they headed home to Willow Pond.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer slipped into her nightgown, and sat on the bed while Jonathan packed his suitcase. They shared a garment bag, and she got it all zipped up and hung it up out in the hall.

"Darling, what time are you going to try and get away tomorrow?"

"By 2, which should put me home by 3, at the airport by 4 and us in New York by midnight".

"Perfect".

She was quiet for a minute, and then looked at him.

He was climbing into bed next to her.

"What do you want to do in New York, darling?"

"Anything you want to do. Shopping, Broadway, carriage rides through the city, fancy dinners, whatever you want".

"I see. And what if I told you I didn't want to leave the hotel room?"

"Then I would turn out the light, like this." He reached up and turned out the light.

"And I would take you in my arms like this." He wrapped his arms around her.

"And then what, darling?"

"And then….we would find something to do to occupy our time".

He started kissing her neck, and then rolled on top of her, and squeezed her boobs.

"What a great idea". Jennifer kissed him passionately, and they made love and fell asleep.

***The next morning***

Jonathan was up early, and out of the shower and dressed before Jennifer woke up.

He leaned down to kiss her.

"Darling, I am heading to the office now. I will see you later today. I love you".

She puckered her lips for a kiss.

After several kisses, she looked at him. "I love you too. Want me to make you some breakfast?"

"No, it's alright. I will get something at work".

She nodded. He leaned down and kissed her again, and then left, as she fell back asleep for a bit.

She was up by 9, and working on an article till lunch. After a quick shower, she had their bags loaded into the Porsche, and was sitting on the couch waiting for him.

He got home around 3, and they left right away for the airport.

They were on their way, and were about ½ way there when the car phone rang.

Jonathan answered it.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Hart, it's Stanley. We have a major problem with the merger. It seems that all of the numbers have been changed. Every single one of them. All of the passwords to the master have been changed. At this rate, the merger won't take place, unless all of us work 24/7 to fix this. I have paged everyone who worked on this, and we are all here, except for Charlie".

"That's because I fired her".

"Oh. I am sorry, I didn't realize".

"It's alright. Are you confident that this needs everyone?"

"Yes sir, I am."

"Ok. I will be right there".

He hung up the phone.

"Jonathan!"

"Darling, there is a problem with the merger. I fired an employee yesterday, and she retaliated by changing all of the data and the passwords related to it. So, we are going to have to work around the clock to fix it".

"But darling, we are supposed to be in New York".

"Jennifer, this is work. Surely, you understand".

"Jonathan, this is work too-in New York."

"Jennifer, this is important".

"And my award isn't?"

He sighed. "Everything is riding on this. Plus, you don't even know if you are getting the award".

"Am I even important to you? If I win the award tomorrow night, will you even give a damn?"

"How can you ask me that, Jennifer? You know you are the most important thing to me".

"Really? Doesn't seem like it, lately. I wasn't important enough for you to not spend the night at the office the other night, or blow me off for lunch before that, why should this be any different?"

"Jennifer-"

"You always do this. Anytime we are going somewhere for me, or somewhere I want to go, you go and let the company interfere. There is more to life than Hart Industries, Jonathan. And besides, with all the money you have made, can't you hire someone to take care of this? Why does it always have to be you?"

"Because it's MY company. I am the sole owner, it's MY responsibility".

"You aren't the only one who has a job, Jonathan. I work too".

"No, but it's my job that paid for the roof over our heads, the cars we drive and the plane we fly in, and all the diamonds and gowns in your closet".

Jennifer was incensed.

"Are you seriously saying that I don't contribute? Are you seriously saying that I don't matter?"

They pulled up to the airport, and as soon as he stopped the car, someone opened the hatch.

"Just the Louis Vuitton bags, please", she called out.

She turned back to him.

"Have fun working on your merger, Mr. Hart. I sure hope it keeps you warm at night, since it's the only thing in your life you care about".

She got out of the car, shut the door and bounded up the steps of the plane without so much as a kiss goodbye.

The baggage handlers had taken the luggage to the plane. Jonathan was just about to drive away, when one of them knocked on the window.

"Mrs. Hart asked me to give this to you, sir. May I open the door?"

Jonathan nodded.

It was his suit from the garment bag.

He waited till he was given the all clear to drive away, and then headed to the office.

Jennifer sat on the plane and cried most of the way. She was hurt, but she was upset that she had hurt him too. They were supposed to be better than that, as much as they loved each other.


	3. Chapter 3

***Chapter 3***

***New York***

Jennifer landed at LaGuardia. Jack came out of the cockpit, and asked Jennifer how long she was staying in New York.

"Till Tuesday. But if it changes, I will let you know. And if you need to fly somewhere else, go ahead and I can take a commercial flight back".

"Sure thing, Mrs. Hart".

"Thank you so much, Jack".

Jennifer took a cab to their building, and got checked in.

After she was settled in the penthouse, she went out and got something to eat from a restaurant across the street. She normally ate very healthy, but she was still upset from her fight with Jonathan, so she was eating her feelings.

She found a Mexican restaurant that was open just down the block, and ordered some tacos and a cheese quesadilla, to go.

Normally, she always called Jonathan when she got to the hotel if they traveled separately. Even when they had fought in the past. But not this time. She was so hurt that he didn't think her work was important. And what hurts even worse was how he threw it in her face that he made more money than she did. All of their marriage, they had been equal partners, in everything. They had never had separate accounts, they had never labeled things as his and hers, except for the closets. It crushed her to know he had been keeping track all of this time.

She took her dinner back to the penthouse, and ate while she flipped through the channels, and then she climbed into bed and fell asleep.

***Hart Industries***

Jonathan had been at it all night. It had taken him 45 minutes to override Charlie's passwords. Once that happened, they were able to reset the password, get access to the Master copy, and start fixing the numbers. She had created the biggest mess for them, out of spite. Jonathan was so angry that he called his lawyer and asked him if they could press charges against her.

"Unfortunately, no, she did this through the company network, and on the clock. She can say that you ordered her to do it, and fired her when you forgot. And since there is no way to prove it, it would be your word against hers".

"Ok, thanks".

He ordered pizza for everyone, and they worked way past midnight.

Finally around 2 a.m., he dismissed them all, and told them to come back at noon the next day.

He was the last one to leave, and he headed back to Willow Pond. He was so tired he didn't even turn on the radio for the drive home.

He hated that he and Jennifer had fought, but he felt like they always fought the same fight, with her expecting him to just put business aside. If he had gone with her to New York tonight, instead of back to the office, the merger would have fallen apart for sure. He just knew that when she calmed down, she would see that this really was important.

He pulled up to Willow Pond, and unloaded the car and headed straight to bed, alone.

***Saturday afternoon***

Jonathan woke up around 9, and headed back to the office. He ordered them all lunch, and had it waiting for them. They all got to work as soon as they got there, picking up where they left off the night before.

He was still hopeful that they could get this finished by the deadline on Monday. If not, he would simply address the board and tell them that they needed more time, and explain that he had fired an employee and she did it out of vengeance.

He told himself that in a couple of hours, he would call Jennifer and wish her good luck. It wouldn't be the magical bridge to forgiveness for them, but it would be a start.

***New York***

Jennifer had slept late, and had gone shopping a bit, and then went and got a blowout at the blowout bar, so her hair would look fabulous tonight. She came back to her hotel room, and started getting ready.

She chose the teal gown, and added a black wrap to it. She walked out the door and was headed to the Plaza by 5.

She wished Jonathan was with her, but he had made his choice. After the ceremony, she was going to make one of her own.

***Hart Industries***

Jonathan and the whole team were working hard, and had covered a lot of ground.

Stanley spoke up around 4.

"Mr. Hart, I am quite confident that I can finish this part on my own. I think we might cover more ground, if we all split the work up".

"I am game if everyone else is".

They all agreed.

Stanley turned back to Jonathan.

"We've got this covered, if you want to go home, Mr. Hart. It is the weekend after all".

"Are you sure?"

"We are sure".

"Ok. I tell you what. Jennifer has a ceremony tonight in New York- if you are sure you can cover it, I am going to fly out and meet her. I can be reached at the penthouse if you need me and I can go to the New York office, if I need to".

"Got it. Have a nice time".

"Thanks. And please, make sure that you notify Graham Watson on Monday when the merger paperwork is complete".

"Yes sir."

He grabbed his things and rushed out.

He called and booked a non-stop flight to LaGuardia. He would probably miss the ceremony, but could still celebrate with her if she won.

He quickly ran inside the house and grabbed his bags and another garment bag for his suit, and then rushed to the airport. He barely made it in time, but he made it.

***New York***

Jennifer met Marcia at the bar in the Plaza for drinks.

"Jennifer, you look gorgeous! It's so great to see you!"

"You too!" They shared a warm hug, and sat down.

"Where is Jonathan?"

"He didn't come. He had some business emergency, as usual, and we fought about it, and then I came alone".

"Well, I am sure that you two will work it out- you two were made for each other".

"I appreciate that. How are you?"

"Good, just working, as usual. And peddling your pieces to anyone and everyone. Your pieces are always my highest sellers".

"I am sure that my pieces are just as good as everyone else's, Marcia".

"No, they aren't. They are always much, much better. Yours always have the best, most detailed research and are always so well thought out."

"Well thank you. I enjoy what I do, really. It's so easy to do it when you love it".

They enjoyed their cocktails, and after about an hour, headed to the ceremony.

Jennifer walked the red carpet and posed for photographs alone. It stung, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. They had stand-ins available, but the truth is she either wanted Jonathan or nobody, and nobody is what she had.

The ceremony started at 7, and was always very boring in the very beginning. She was up for the last award, Outstanding Excellence in Print Journalism, otherwise known as the Meredith Granger Nelson award, named after a print journalist who had died while on assignment.

The ceremony always included unlimited cocktails, and a very swanky dinner. This year, the attendees could choose between steak, baked potato, and salad, or shrimp salad with honey lime dressing and a side of grilled veggies. Jennifer chose the shrimp salad, and white wine.

Everyone at their table was up for something. It was no surprise when Marcia won Editor of the Year, as she was the best and had a 12 year streak.

Finally, they were announcing Jennifer's award. She was a little nervous, but not as much as she had thought she would be.

She took a sip of her wine as the nominees were announced.

"And the winner is….Jennifer Hart, for 'Children for Sale: America's Youth Being Sold Into Sex Slavery'.

Everyone was clapping, and Jennifer and Marcia were jumping up and down.

It was customary that they show a video package that had been made about the winner, so they aired that before Jennifer went to collect her award.

It started out with Marcia narrating tidbits of Jennifer's life, and how they had met and started working together.

"She's one of the most intelligent people I have ever come across. If you give her an assignment, you know that she won't stop till it's A+ material. She will research a topic until every single stone is uncovered, and then she will still find the best angle and focus on the one that shows people caring about others or helping each other, and being decent human beings. Nevermind the angle of the story that would bring her the most notoriety, if it's negative, she will not focus on that. She will only focus on the one that is about helping others. She has always been a pleasure to work with. When she married Jonathan, I swear I held my breath for 6 months, waiting for her to say that she was quitting, but she never did. And being married to a millionaire didn't damper her work, it flourished it".

Jennifer reached over and squeezed Marcia's hand.

Jonathan's face suddenly appeared on the screen.

"When I met my gorgeous wife, I was taken in by her dedication to her work. She and I were in London, separately, and she was trying to get an interview with me, but the company I was in business with wanted me to keep it quiet, and I had a rule at the time that I didn't give interviews. So, she must have left me 20 messages, and was relentless. She even pretended to be a manager of the hotel, called my hotel room, and told me there was a leak above me, just to get in front of me to try to convince me to talk to her. She didn't realize that I had the penthouse and there wasn't anyone above me. And it just so happened that after that, I met her in the bar on accident. She heard me insulting her, not realizing it was her I was insulting, and she gave me a fake name and accepted my dinner invitation anyways. And the rest they say is history, and I have loved her more every single day since. She simply has the best heart of anyone. She never ceases to help others, care for others, she never wakes up in a bad mood. She is always smiling, and she's got the best laugh I have ever heard in my life. Darling, you deserve this award, and I hope that you get many, many more, just like it. You are my everything, and nothing has value to me unless I can do it for you or share it with you. Congratulations, sweetheart, I love you".

Everyone clapped as the video went off.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Jennifer Hart".

Jennifer rose and went to the podium and accepted the award.

"I have so many people to thank for this. The truth is, my name might be on the byline, but I didn't do it alone. I couldn't have done this without my editor, Marcia. She has always pushed me to be a better writer, and always accepts my articles, and lets me write what I want when I want, which is nice. I have to thank my professor in college- Professor Davidson. I was in the Intro to Journalism class and I had my heart set on Broadcast Journalism. He showed me that my talents were actually in the print arena, and that freezing up on camera every single time wasn't good, and steered me towards print. And I am so thankful that he had, otherwise I wouldn't have met my husband. I promise you, that every time I write an article, I will see this award on my shelf, and I will remember this moment. I am very honored, and I will not take it for granted. Thank you".

Everyone clapped as she took her seat again.

The ceremony officially ended about 15 minutes later, and everyone stood to leave.

"After party- NUBO. I will see all of you there in about 20 minutes".

Jennifer posed for some photographs, and then headed to their building. She had the desk clerk put the award in the vault, and then headed to NUBO.

Her cab was pulling away from the building as Jonathan's was pulling up.

Jennifer stayed at the afterparty for about 3 hours. Everyone was congratulating her, and offering to buy her drinks. However, all she wanted was water. She was playing it safe tonight.

Around 12, she said goodnight to everyone and took a cab back to their building.

She walked in and turned on a light. As she turned around after shutting the door, she saw Jonathan and screamed.


	4. Chapter 4

***Chapter 4***

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you".

"It's ok. I wasn't expecting you".

She walked past him and put her clutch and the award down, and then headed to the bedroom.

She was changing out of her gown in the bathroom when he came in.

"Can we talk?"

"I'm listening".

She had her pajamas on now, and was wiping off her makeup.

She put a coat of baby oil on before she came out of the bathroom.

Jonathan was sitting on the bed, so she went and sat next to him.

"I don't know what to say. I keep thinking I need some grand gesture to help me talk to you this time, but I don't have one. I didn't have time to get you flowers, or a fancy meal, or a string quartet. I just have me, and all I can say is I'm sorry".

"I don't need a grand gesture, Jonathan. I just need you. Do you hate me?"

"Of course I don't hate you. I love you so much. If I hated you, I wouldn't be here."

"We said some awful things to each other".

He nodded.

"I am sorry we fought, I am sorry I said those things about your work, and I am sorry I missed your ceremony".

She stared straight ahead.

"Jonathan, do you really think that your work is more important than mine?"

"No. Your work is just important to you as mine is to me".

She stood up and paced around the room.

"You still don't get it. When are you going to realize that I want my work to be important to you, because it's MY work? If you aren't proud of what I do, then we have no business being together. Part of why I married you was because of your character and the kind of person I thought you were. And till now, you have never shown me that I was wrong. And I thought you fell for me because of the same qualities".

"I did. I do value your work. But darling, you don't work near as much as I do, because I am able to provide everything for you."

"And I love that, and I appreciate it, but that doesn't mean that everything we have is all yours and none of it is mine. You had no right to throw your wealth in my face, Jonathan. My articles pay for plenty for you-they have paid for vacations, that Rolex on your arm, last month they paid for the gardener, the pool guy, and the property taxes on the beach house. I don't take my checks for my articles and put them in my account, I put them in ours. At least I thought it was ours. I didn't realize it was a competition".

"Jennifer, come here". He held his hands out and she took them. He embraced her and held her for a minute, and then they sat on the bed.

She was wiping tears away from her face.

"I am sorry that I said your work wasn't important. I realize that if that was true, you wouldn't have won an award tonight, that you so richly deserve. I should have never compared your work to mine. And I am sorry that I said our house and our money was all because of me-without you, none of it matters. You are the only thing that matters to me, I hope you know that. If I don't have you, baby, I don't need or want any of it. Please forgive me".

She grabbed his hands.

"I'm sorry that I said that you always put your business before me. It's just that sometimes I think you forget how much you and I need and enjoy our alone time. And normally, we have to cancel our lunch plans every once in a while, and every now and then we have to eat a late dinner. But this week, you blew me off for lunch, and then you didn't come home for dinner, and then….it was not the best timing. I should be more flexible. But darling, we have to find some common ground on this".

"I agree. You don't owe me any apologies, Jennifer. This was all my doing."

"I hate it when we fight. I hate sleeping without you, and not wanting to call you because I am mad. I have been so miserable since last night".

"I know, me too. I was so miserable at the office, that they split the work up and told me to go home".

She chuckled. "If only I had been there".

She swallowed hard.

"Darling, do you think you could hire someone who was strictly in charge of the mergers, and then you could delegate this stuff to them, so that things like this don't happen again?"

He nodded. "That's not a bad idea".

"And I will cut back on how many articles I write".

"No, I don't want you to do that. I want you to work as much as you want to, whenever, wherever. It's not my place to tell you what to do with your job".

She nodded.

She put her head on his shoulder and he comforted her.

"I'm sorry I said your merger was the only thing you care about. I didn't mean that, and I know that's not true. I should have been more understanding."

"It's ok, darling. Look, I think both of us said things we didn't mean. Babe, we love each other. Look at us, you are still just as gorgeous and beautiful and smokin' hot as you were when I met you, and I am more determined to succeed because of you. I want to make sure that you have anything and everything you ever want, no matter what it is, how big or how small. That's my focus, babe, it's always about you, I swear it. But as much as we love each other, surely we can get past this. I am sorry I hurt your feelings, darling. I love you so much, and I swear, you are the last one I would ever want to hurt".

She nodded and leaned up and kissed him.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, too".

He scooted back against the bed, and she moved to lay down with him.

"So, tell me about the ceremony".

"It was ok. The beginning was rather boring, with all the technical awards. But after that, it was ok. I loved what you said about me in the video, darling".

"I meant every word. You mean everything to me, Jennifer. I have been so stupid."

"Jonathan, it was just a fight. It's not like you cheated on me".

"All night at the office, all I could see was that hurt look on your face. I feel so bad, Jennifer. I promise I will make it up to you".

"You being here is all I need".

"Darling, as soon as we get home, I am going to make some changes at the office. I am going to start taking Fridays off. Thursday nights will be our date night, and we can spend Fridays together too, or we can take the weekend and go places. And if the board doesn't like that, then screw them. It's our company, we can set the rules".

"I like that idea. Jonathan, I wasn't upset with you because I wanted you to work less- I just wanted you to value my work as much as you value yours".

"I understand that. And I promise you that I do value your work, I was just being stupid and selfish. I am so proud of you, honest. You could write the phone book and I would show it off".

He turned to look at her.

"I love you, Red".

She smiled at him.

"I love you too, Jonathan Charles".

***The next morning***

They slept late and ordered breakfast from the deli down the street. Jonathan had managed to get them Broadway tickets for that night, and had arranged for a horse drawn carriage to take them to Broadway.

They did some shopping, and then went to lunch. They came back to the penthouse, and laid around a bit, before they were going to get ready.

She put on a gorgeous black capri jumpsuit, with sparkles in it, and some strappy black heels. Jonathan had on his suit, and together they looked amazing.

After the play, they stopped and got dinner to go, and brought it back to the penthouse.

They sat down on the couch, and started to eat.

The phone rang, and Jonathan knew it had to be the office. He looked at Jennifer.

"Don't be silly. Answer it".

She patted his hand reassuringly as he picked the phone up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Hart, it's Stanley. I just wanted to let you know that a process server just came by here, and was looking to serve you with some papers. I told him you were in New York, and he said ok and left. I went to my office really quick, and heard him on the phone at the elevator, and he said someone from the New York office would serve you there within the hour".

"Ok thank you, Stanley".

They hung up, and he turned the news on. One of the channels they paid extra for was a satellite broadcast of the LA news channels.

They were watching the news when there was a knock at the door. Jonathan got up and went to get it.

"Mr. Jonathan Hart?"

"I am Jonathan Hart".

"You've been served". They put the envelope in his hand, and then walked away.

He shut the door and brought the envelope back to the den.

"Who was it?"

"Process server".

He opened the envelope and pulled out the papers.

Charlie was suing him for $35 million dollars, for sexual harassment and hostile work environment.

Jonathan sighed and put the papers on the table.

"Darling, what is it?"

"Charlie, the executive I fired last week, is suing Hart Industries, claiming that there was sexual harassment going on at the office each day and that it made for a hostile work environment".

"How much is the suit for?"

"$35 million dollars".

"Do the papers say who the suit alleges the harasser is?"

"Yes, me".

"Oh, Jonathan, that's ridiculous! You would never sexually harass anyone, but for sure, never a-"

They turned their attention to the TV.

"Breaking News: a former executive at Hart Industries has filed suit against founder and CEO, Jonathan Hart, charging him with sexual harassment and hostile work environment". Pictures of Jonathan and Jennifer flooded the screen, while the story continued.

"Charlotte Watkins, who goes by Charlie, alleges that Jonathan Hart sexually harassed her while they worked on a project together, and made it a hostile work environment, before he fired her for refusing his advances. She is asking for more than $30 million in damages".

The story cut to video of Charlie and her lawyer giving a statement.

"I was in his office and he ripped my blouse open, exposing my bra, and then when I told him that he was married and I wasn't interested, he fired me. On another occasion, he and I were working late, and the internet went down. I live about 5 minutes from the office, so I allowed him to come to my home so we could keep working, and he ended up drinking too much alcohol. I graciously allowed him to stay in my guest room that night, and just after I had gone to bed, he appeared in my room, and tried to force himself on me. If he had not passed out during his attempts to force himself on me, he would be charged with rape right now. The next morning at the office, I was trying to remain professional, and he told me point blank that he always gets what he wants, and last night was just the beginning".

Jennifer turned to look at Jonathan.

"So Charlie is a woman? That's where you stayed that night, was at her house? You spent the night at another woman's house?"

"Yes, but darling you have to believe me, nothing happened".

"Something happened, maybe not what she is describing. But something definitely happened, that is obvious".

"What do you mean?"

"You lied to me, Jonathan. That's what I mean. You lied to me".


	5. Chapter 5

***Chapter 5***

"I didn't lie to you, Jennifer. I just never clarified".

"A lie by omission is still a lie".

"You're right. I am sorry".

"Tell me what happened, from the very beginning."

"Well, we were working on the merger, and I decided to add her to the project, so I did. And the first night that we were working, we found some errors in the numbers. So, she and I were working to fix it, because it meant that all the columns after that had to be changed. And then the internet went out, so I told her we would pick it up again the next day, but she said she lived like 4 minutes from the office and we could work there. So, we went to her house, and she made us some drinks and some appetizers and we worked for several more hours, and then I realized that I had probably had one drink too many, and didn't want to risk driving home, so she graciously allowed me to stay in the guest room. And I don't recall anything else, till I woke up the next morning. At the office the next day, she made the statement to me, that she gets what she wants, and last night was the beginning. I didn't say it to her, she said it to me. So, I told her that I was happily married, and that wasn't going to change, and that the only reason I asked her to come to my office was so we could work. She nodded, and got to work. So, we worked all day and then I went home to you, and the next day, she came into my office again. She asked me to help her with something, and I said sure. She had files in her hands, so I naturally assumed that it was work related. She dropped the files, and ripped her blouse open, and then said something about she couldn't concentrate with me down the hall needing her. I stood up, grabbed her by the shoulders, led her to the door, and told her again, that I was happily married, and that she was fired, for inappropriate behavior. She protested, and stated that we needed her for the merger, and I countered with the fact that we had done thousands of projects before she had been hired, and we managed just fine. I gave her to the end of the day to pack up her things. When you came to the office that night, she was getting on the elevator with her things, and I wanted to protect you in case she wanted to make a scene, so that's part of why we stopped at Kelly's desk right then. I didn't want to subject you to her wrath. And now it's apparent that she spent her day logging in to the project, changing all the numbers and then changed the password to screw it up for us. I promise you, nothing happened between me and her. I swear it".

Jennifer nodded. "I believe you. But do you have witnesses?"

"No. It was always just me and her, nobody else".

"Oh Jonathan, that's not good. There's no way to prove that she's lying. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know…. I never thought it would come to this".

He grabbed the phone and called his lawyer.

"Already on it, Jonathan. We will talk when you get back to California".

"Thanks Mark".

They hung up.

He just sort of hung his head and stared at the floor.

She scooted towards him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I am sorry I snapped at you. It's just this whole thing came out of the blue, and I hate to see you like this".

"It's ok. I brought this on myself by letting her in my office without someone else present".

"Not really. I mean you did let her in your office without anyone else yes, but you have done that hundreds of times with other women before and never had a problem."

"That's true".

"I think we need to remember, she is one person. There will be hundreds of people at the company who could testify for you that your character is a good one, and that they never felt like you would do this to them".

He nodded.

She got up and took their plates to the sink and did the dishes.

He came and joined her after a few minutes.

She turned and just embraced him and hugged him.

"It will be ok, Jonathan."

He didn't say anything, he just held her.

***Monday***

Jonathan and Jennifer ordered breakfast from a diner down the street and had it delivered.

"Darling, if you think we should return to California tonight, we can".

He nodded. "That might be best".

He called the office, and told Stanley that he was in charge until further notice.

He called his lawyer and told him that he and Jennifer were going to return that night, and that he wanted to give his own press conference refuting the allegations.

They set it up for the next day.

Jonathan and Jennifer went shopping, and then grabbed a late lunch at Scarpetta's. When they sat down at their table, Jonathan called Jack and told him they needed to return that night.

"No problem. We can be wheels up within the hour".

"We are eating, we will be there as soon as we are done".

"No problem".

They tried to enjoy their lunch, because they both knew they were going to be returning to a shit storm and it might be several days before they were happy again.

Just before he paid the check, Jonathan turned and grabbed Jennifer's hand.

"I'm sorry that you got dragged into all this, darling. I promise you, nothing happened".

"I believe you, but Jonathan, you have that time at her house that you can't account for. She could be making it up, but what if she isn't? And there's still the fact that you spent the night at another woman's house…you could have come to our house. You could have called me to come get you, you could have called a cab. It simply doesn't look good that you spent the night at her house".

"I know. It was all innocent. She's just twisting it. You're right, I should have called you or called a cab".

Jennifer suddenly had a lightbulb moment.

"Darling, do you think she's the one calling me with those weird phone calls?"

"I know she is. I listened to the recording after you told me. I recognized her voice. I figured when I fired her, she would stop".

Jennifer nodded.

They paid the check, and then headed to the penthouse and got their things, before heading to the airport.

They were back in LA by midnight, and headed straight to Willow Pond.

***Tuesday morning***

Jonathan and Jennifer slept fitfully. Jennifer rolled over at 5 a.m. and put her head on his chest.

"I love you, you know that. And you would never sexually attack a woman without her consent, or harass a woman for sexual favors, or anything else that she is describing. So, this little scheme isn't going to work".

"I hope the board believes in me as much as you do".

"It's still early yet, I could go put on that pink nightgown you gave me for Christmas…."

"Jennifer, I love you, but I just can't."

"Ok".

She eased off him and laid back on her pillow.

"Please don't be upset with me, It's just that I can't concentrate".

"It's fine, Jonathan". She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

They finally got up around 7 and showered and got dressed. She was downstairs in the kitchen when he came down.

She handed him some coffee.

She had made him some bacon and eggs, and some eggs and sliced fruit for herself.

The phone rang as she made their plates and he answered it. She left his plate and took hers to the patio.

He joined her a few minutes later.

"That was Mark. Press conference is at 10. He said it would look good if you were there with me".

"I was planning on it".

He nodded.

After he was done eating, they sat there drinking coffee for a few minutes. Finally she got up to clear the plates away. As soon as she stood up, he grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap.

"Jonathan!"

He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I know this is going to be uncomfortable for you, and I just wanted you to know that I am sorry, darling. I apologize for all of this."

She stood up and then pulled him to stand up.

She went and stood behind him, and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Darling, where am I?"

"Behind me".

"Exactly. And that's never going to change. If I thought for one minute you had done anything that she is accusing you of, I would have been long gone. I don't know how we are going to do it, but I know that we are going to get to the bottom of this, and you will be found innocent. I guarantee it".

He grabbed her hand and pulled it towards his mouth and kissed her fingers.

They stood there a few minutes longer, and then went and cleaned up the kitchen, and headed to Hart Industries.

They held hands as they drove to the office, and she could tell that he was very anxious.

"Darling, what is the plan?"

"I am going to call a meeting with everyone and explain everything, let them ask me questions, and then after that, we will have a press conference. And after that, we will have a board meeting".

She nodded.

As soon as they pulled up, they could see all the press and the paparazzi gathered to take photos as they drove up.

"Thank goodness for tinted windows".

They pulled up, parked, and went inside.

***Hart Industries***

Jonathan and Jennifer went to his office, and she made him a cup of coffee.

"Kelly, can you come in here please?"

Kelly came right in.

"How are you, Mr. Hart?"

"I'm fine, Kelly. Can you please send out a phone tree to tell everyone to meet us in the auditorium in 20 minutes?"

"Yes sir, right away".

Jennifer stayed with Jonathan till it was time to go to the auditorium.

They walked in to cheers and lots of applause.

Everyone gave him a standing ovation.

"Thank you everyone. That was very kind. I just wanted to address this before you see my version on the news. I am just going to tell you the facts, and allow you to draw your own conclusions. The facts are that Charlotte Watkins, aka Charlie, was hired here 2 months ago. She proved to be a very valuable asset on the McMillan deal, and then when we started the North Coast deal, I added her to it. Just as it was then, and I am sure that it is still true today, she is a very hard working, intelligent, and valuable asset to any team or project. The reason she was fired had nothing to do with her work performance. We were working on the project, and she discovered a discrepancy in the numbers, so we started crunching to meet the deadline. The internet went down here, so she suggested that we move to her house, as she lived right across the street. I agreed, and we worked there for several hours. We had had a few drinks, so she graciously allowed me to stay in her guest room. The next morning, I got up and came back here to the office. She came into my office, and made a pass at me. I told her that I am very happily married, and that's not going to change. She nodded and got back to work. The next day, she came into my office, and asked me to help her with something, and then made a second pass at me. I told her again that I am happily married, and that she was fired for inappropriate behavior, and gave her the rest of the day to pack her things. Instead, she spent her day changing the numbers in the system, and changing the passwords, which ended up impeding our progress on the North Coast deal. None of what she says I did to her took place in the manner that she says it occurred. Some of it occurred from her to me, but never from me to her."

He motioned for Jennifer to come to him.

He wrapped his arms around Jennifer's waist.

"My lovely wife means everything to me, and I would never jeopardize that. Charlie was also calling my wife and harassing her. I expect to have this fully investigated and be fully vindicated".

Jennifer kissed him on the cheek, and everyone clapped.

After the applause had died down, he leaned to the microphone again.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

Nobody did.

"Thank you for coming. We are having a press conference here in about ½ an hour, and then a board meeting. Aside from that, it's business as usual".

Everyone left, and Jonathan and Jennifer went back to the conference room.

"You did very well, honey".

"Thank you".

"Jennifer, can-"

Mark Watson came in just then.

"Hi Jonathan, hi Jennifer".

"Hello".

They went over the case again, and Mark explained to him that he needed to put an investigator on this.

"The good news is, so far you are not being charged with anything. I don't think there is anything to charge you with. We will have to take your deposition, and of course, we will depose her as well".

"Mark, she was calling and harassing Jennifer at home. We have recordings of one of the calls. Can we charge her with harassment for that?"

"No, because you didn't tell her to stop. But, we can introduce it as evidence. We will need to pull your phone records though".

"I traced one of the calls, to a pay phone in the parking garage".

"Good."

Jonathan and Jennifer went and did the press conference, and it went well.

After that, it was time for the board meeting.

"Are you ok, darling?"

"Yes, I think so. This might get ugly, but like I told you this weekend, if I don't have you, none of it matters".

He kissed her softly, and then they headed to the conference room for the board meeting.


	6. Chapter 6

***Chapter 6***

Jonathan and Jennifer went into the conference room to address the board. Jonathan made an impassioned speech, and explained his side of the story and told them that he was confident that she would be exposed for lying.

The board voted to go ahead with the merger, and voted to stand behind him. He thanked them, and then he and Jennifer headed to his office.

They came in, shut the door, and then Jonathan sighed. He was worn out, and was glad this was over for the moment.

She embraced him and just rubbed his back some.

They sat down on the couch.

"Darling, maybe when you are in here with another woman, you should have the door open, or have Kelly come in, so that there is always another witness".

"I agree. I hate that I have to do that, but I think it's a good idea."

She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his cheek some.

"Darling, are you hungry?"

"Food actually sounds good. Why don't we order in?"

She nodded. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Espana. Will you call it in?"

"Sure".

She got up and placed their order for delivery, and then went and sat by him again.

The phone rang a few minutes later, and Jonathan answered it.

After a few minutes, he hung up.

"Darling, that was Mark. He needs to meet with us here at 2".

She nodded.

She hated seeing him like this, all tense and nervous. She wanted to reassure him that it was going to be ok, but he had to believe it himself.

She linked her arm through his and rubbed his forearm some, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You looked so sexy this morning addressing the company."

"Did I? Maybe you should come to our company meetings more often".

He kissed her forehead.

She smiled at him. "What do you think Mark wants to talk to us about?"

"He didn't say. But he probably met with her attorney, and wants to tell us what transpired".

Their lunch arrived, so she set it up at the table, and they ate, mostly in silence.

Right on time, Mark showed up.

They sat down.

"Jonathan, are you still saying that you didn't cheat on Jennifer with Charlie?"

"I will always say that. Because it didn't happen. I would never cheat on Jennifer".

"Well, Charlie's lawyer says that you did, and that they have proof. They are sending the proof over to us. They also said that you purposely gave her the office down the hall from you so that you could watch her walk to the elevator. They said you purposely chose her for this project so that you could come on to her without others around."

"That is ridiculous! I gave her that office because it was the one available. It was available because Rebecca Martin retired. If I hadn't given her that office, she would have been down in the basement in a small, cramped cubicle. I never watched her walk to the elevator. It should go without saying that the only woman I leer at is my wife, and as I already stated, I added her to this project because of her abilities and job performance, not because I wanted to take her to bed".

Jennifer reached over and squeezed Jonathan's hand.

"Mark, what's the next step?"

"Well, they agreed to a deposition. So, you and Jennifer will be deposed next Monday. She will be deposed after yours is finished. Then, after the court reporter has prepared the transcripts, the evaluator will go over them thoroughly and determine if the suit can proceed. If the determination is yes, then a trial date will be set. If a trial date is set, then you have to decide if you want a judge to decide your fate or a jury. Since no criminal charges can be filed, this is just strictly for how much money you are going to be paying her, if any".

Jonathan nodded.

"In the meantime, I recommend that you and Jennifer are seen in public like you normally would be, show no signs of tension or anything. You don't want to give the gossip columnists any more ammunition than necessary. And if Charlie contacts you, or you run into her in public, do not engage. Record the conversation if you can. She is most likely going to be trying to get a reaction out of you, and if you play into her hands, that could be used against you in hundreds of ways."

They both nodded.

"In some cases like this, if what you are saying is the truth, and you continue to maintain that, and if the plaintiff is lying, then the plaintiff will sometimes break down and admit they are lying in the deposition. However, that's not always the case. I think you have a pretty good case here, especially if we can show that you are making changes at the office in spite of your claims of being innocent. What changes are you making?"

"Well, for one, I will not be in my office with a female with the exception of my wife, without another person present. I am also going to hire someone to be in charge of mergers, and let them delegate everything."

"Those are both good changes, that will help bolster your reputation".

"So, this proof that she says she has, how are we going to get it?"

"It will be sent over by messenger this afternoon".

"She didn't give any indication about what kind of proof it was?"

"No, only that it was proof positive. And that we would be getting the originals".

Mark cleared his throat.

"Jonathan, can you show me where her office was?"

"Certainly. It's just down the hall. Here, follow me".

Jonathan took Mark to Charlie's office, while Jennifer stayed behind in his office.

A few minutes later, they came back.

Jonathan looked upset.

"What is it, darling?"

"Well, she took some stuff that wasn't hers when she cleaned out her office. She took the computer tower, plus a camera that belonged to the company, and her desk chair. The board isn't going to like this."

She embraced him reassuringly.

"I wonder, if I could present it to the board as the reason behind us restructuring the HR manual. From now on when someone gets fired or quits, HR has to come walk through their office and make sure they aren't taking things that don't belong to them. If I could present it to the board as the catalyst for the project, maybe they won't get so upset".

Jonathan called for the HR manager to come to his office, and they discussed it briefly.

"Send out a memo, effective immediately, that HR must do an inventory before anyone who is fired or resigns is allowed to leave the building. Also, let's do an inventory next week of who has what where, so that we have a list to compare it to".

"Yes, Mr. Hart".

After she left, Mark excused himself to take a phone call in the conference room.

Jennifer and Jonathan sat down on the couch.

"Darling, I know that when we got married, we vowed to be adventurous and go through life's journey's together. However, I am ready for this particular adventure to be over with".

"Me too. I am sorry I dragged you into all this".

"Hey, that's not what I meant. And you didn't drag me. I jumped. I am just saying it would be nice if we could stay on level ground for awhile, is all."

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

He turned and looked at Jennifer.

"Whatever evidence she claims to have… nothing happened between the two of us".

"I believe you. You know I am not a jealous person, Jonathan. You have never given me a reason to be".

"And you know that you are the only woman who ever mattered to me, and who ever will matter to me".

"I believe that too. But darling, there is still that amount of time that you cannot account for".

"I know. I keep trying to remember, but I just come up empty".

She patted his leg and covered his hand with hers.

Just then Mark came back in the office.

"This envelope just arrived".

He handed it to Jonathan, who opened it. It was a photo album, and it had a few pictures marked with tabs. Jonathan immediately flipped to the tabbed photos.

The first one was a picture of him lying in bed with Charlie. He had his dress shirt on, and his pants, no tie. He was smiling at the camera directly.

The second one was him looking at Charlie, and the third was him on his stomach, no shirt on, under the covers. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Darling…I don't know how to explain this. I swear to you nothing happened".

She rose and took it from him.

She looked at the pictures and then handed it to Mark.

Mark looked through the pictures, and then back at Jonathan.

"I am going to need to get your statement on these pictures. Can we go to the conference room? We need a room that won't have any phones in it, so that I can record your statement".

He nodded. "I'll see you in there in just a moment".

Mark headed to the conference room and Jonathan turned to Jennifer.

"Darling-"

"Save it. I don't want to talk about this now".

"You believe me, don't you?"

"I'm trying to. You've never given me a reason to think you were cheating before, Jonathan, but the fact is you didn't come home that night, and you are very clearly photographed in bed with another woman. And when you did come home, you were bending over backwards trying to make it up to me. If you didn't do anything, then what is there to make up? If you didn't do anything, then how do you explain the photos?"

"I don't have an answer for that yet. But I promise you, I will find one. I love you, more than words can say."

She nodded. He kissed her forehead, and then headed to the conference room.

She thought a minute, and then left him a note on his desk, grabbed her purse and headed out.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer had tears down her face most of the drive home. She came inside and went upstairs to take a hot bath. She wanted to believe Jonathan, and she knew that had he been sober, he would have never cheated on her. However, he told her himself that he had only stayed there because he had drank too much. When he drinks, he always gets amorous, and their lovemaking could sometimes be more intense. She had always liked that, but now she wasn't sure it was a good thing.

She let the tears fall in the bath, and just soaked till the water was cold. After she was dried off and in her pajamas, she went and made some tea.

It was almost dinner time, so she ordered a large pizza, and then sat on the couch with her tea. She didn't know what he was going to do, or when he would be home.

The pizza came around 5, and she had already had 3 pieces by the time he got home. He found her in the kitchen, putting her plate in the sink.

"Hi".

"Hello".

He went to her and kissed the side of her head and tried to hug her, but she didn't give in so easily.

"Jennifer, I know this looks bad. And I'm sorry. I wish I could explain it and I wish I could fix it".

She didn't say anything.

He kissed the back of her shoulder.

She finally moved away from him and as she walked past him, said "I saved you some pizza".

She went upstairs and he found her in the bathroom, cleaning out her closet. She was throwing things into a large suitcase.

"Darling, please don't do this".

"Don't do what, Jonathan?"

"Pack your things".

"I'm not. I am cleaning out my closet and I thought I might donate my old gowns".

"And the suitcase?"

"Just something to hold them in".

He didn't say anything else, and went and changed into his pajamas.

He climbed into bed and waited while she finished cleaning out her closet.

She finally zipped the suitcase shut, and struggled to lift it off the bed.

"Here, let me".

"No thank you, I can take care of myself".

He backed off, and let her drag it to the ground, and then over to the window.

She turned around and came to the bed and climbed in.

She reached up and turned out her light.

He turned towards her and touched her shoulder.

"Jennifer-"

"Try to get some sleep, Jonathan".

Her tone suggested she had nothing more to say to him.

He sighed and tried to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

***Chapter 7***

***The next morning***

Jonathan woke up first. He instinctively rolled over and kissed Jennifer good morning, like he always did.

"Morning darling".

No response.

He got up and showered and then dressed. She was still sleeping.

He leaned down and whispered "I love you so much, whether or not you think so". He kissed her a few times, and then left.

She woke up at 8, and went downstairs to get coffee.

She saw that he had left her a note in the kitchen.

"I love you. I hope you still love me too. Hopefully we can talk tonight? I love you, Red -J".

She smiled a little. She wanted to believe that he was innocent, but the pictures don't lie.

She tried to work on her article, but couldn't concentrate. Instead she took herself to lunch, and then to a movie.

When she got home, Jonathan was home.

She heard it before she even came in the house. He was playing the piano. He always did it when he was upset or trying to figure something out.

She walked in the kitchen door, and stood and watched him play a while. He finally stopped and turned and saw her.

He stood up and went to her.

"Hi".

"Hi".

"I was worried about you".

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to".

"I ordered us dinner, it should be here soon".

"I'm not hungry".

"Jennifer, please talk to me. I can't get through this without you".

"You can't get through this? What about me? Do you realize that when the press gets ahold of the pictures, that I am going to look like a fool? Guilty or not, we are both going to be judged and talked about and ridiculed".

"I know. And I wish I could stop it, but I am doing all I can just to keep my head above water, here".

"You aren't the only one".

"I swear to you, I didn't purposely cheat on you. I wouldn't do that, honey. You are the only one for me".

"Jonathan, that chunk of time that you claim to be missing? What caused that?"

"Well, I was tired. And we had had a few drinks".

"Exactly. Think back to the last time you and I had a few too many drinks".

"2 weekends ago, the weekend before the awards ceremony".

"That's right. What happened afterwards?"

He thought for a minute, before he remembered.

"Jennifer, that doesn't prove anything".

"It most certainly does."

"Jennifer-that only happens when it's you and me".

Her eyes filled with tears, and her voice broke as she said "How do you know for certain?"

She shook her head and then went upstairs without another word.

***A few hours later***

Jonathan gave her some space, and stayed downstairs. He wrote out some questions he wanted to ask Mark, and he wrote out some questions that he wanted Mark to ask Charlie in the deposition.

After a few hours, he went upstairs. He figured Jennifer would be asleep, but he was surprised to find her laying on the bed watching tv.

He changed into his pajamas, and then came and got in bed.

He was debating whether or not to say anything to her.

He didn't want to upset her again.

He turned out his light, and rolled over away from her.

She watched TV a little longer and then got up and turned it off. She came back to bed and reached up and turned her light off and laid there, as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

***The next morning***

Jennifer was up before he was. She had barely slept all night. She was in the study when he came downstairs.

He came to the study door.

"Care to have breakfast with me?"

She nodded, and got up and headed to the kitchen with him.

They made bacon and eggs together and sliced fruit. He squeezed her some fresh orange juice, and she made his coffee just the way he liked it.

They had a quiet breakfast, and then she got up and cleaned the kitchen.

He came over to her, and grabbed both of her arms.

"Put down the sponge, please".

"Jonathan-"

"Please."

She put down the sponge and he turned her towards him.

"I love you. I don't know how she made those pictures, I don't know why she made those pictures, but what I do know is that you are the only woman in my life and the only one I love, or have ever loved, or will ever love. I am sorry I hurt you with all of this, and if I could go back and change it I would, but I can't. So, in order to keep you from getting hurt going forward, I will move to the beach house, and I will make a statement to the press that this was all my doing, and you were an innocent bystander. But, I am still going to love you, no matter what".

"Jonathan, I don't want you to move out. That's not going to solve anything".

He kissed her fingers.

"I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that you might have slept with her. Not that you planned or chose to do it, but you know how you get when you have had too much, and it's just…I never thought you would do that with anyone other than me".

"Me either. I have a strategy that I think will work, I was going to run it by Mark this morning".

"What strategy?"

"Darling, if someone asked you what our lovemaking was like, could you describe it to them? I don't mean like "it was nice" or "it was ok", I mean like really describe it, step by step".

"I suppose I could, but that's personal".

"I know. Now, think back to the men you dated before me. Could you describe it with them?"

"Jonathan! I don't like where this is going".

"Humor me, please".

She thought for a minute.

"I suppose I could".

"Is that something all women can do? Describe it, I mean".

"I suppose".

"So, what if we have you describe our lovemaking in a deposition and then-"

"No. I won't give out personal details of our life like that, Jonathan. That's humiliating".

"Darling, it might be the only way. And we don't know what her lawyer is going to ask you".

She sighed.

"Jonathan, I can't do that. I won't do that".

She broke away from him and headed upstairs.

He wanted to go after her, but instead he headed to the office.

***A few hours later***

Jennifer was working on her article, in the study when the intercom rang.

She went to answer it and opened the gate. It was a delivery man.

He brought in the biggest bouquet of flowers she had ever seen.

She thanked him and had him put it on the coffee table. It was in a beautiful square vase, and had to be at least 5 feet tall.

She dug for the card.

"I love you, no matter what. I hope that we can get back to being us, soon. J. H2H".

She smiled a little and smelled the flowers. They were gorgeous. They were all her favorites- bells of Ireland, white tulips, and dark red roses.

She went to call him and tell him thank you and that she was sorry for this morning, when the intercom rang again. She let the delivery man in the gate again, and opened the door for him.

"What did you forget?"

It was a different delivery man.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were the same one who was just here".

They brought in the flowers and she had them set them on the bar.

She tipped him, and he left and she dug for the card.

"Mrs. Hart-Just wanted to say thank you for teaching your husband how to properly treat a woman in bed. This morning was the greatest morning of my life, and it's all thanks to you-Charlie Watkins".

Jennifer was incensed.

She called Jonathan at the office. Kelly answered.

"Hi Kelly. Can you tell me what time Mr. Hart got there this morning?"

"About 8:45".

"And has he been alone in the office all morning?"

"Yes".

"Perfect. Can I speak with him please?"

"Certainly".

Jonathan picked up right away.

"Hi darling".

"Jonathan, if you value our marriage at all, you will come home right now. This has gone on long enough".

She slammed the phone down, and made a very stiff martini.

About an hour later, he came in the door.

She was on her second martini.

She gestured to the flowers.

"Did you send me these?"

"Yes I did. You love flowers, I don't understand".

"Right after I got these, I got those". She gestured towards the ones on the bar.

"Who sent you those?"

She shoved the card in his hand and took her glass to the bar.

He got up and caught her before she could leave the room.

"Jennifer, I wasn't with her this morning. I was with you, here. I left when you went upstairs, and I had to stop along the way to the office and get a new tire. Then I went straight to the office, and I was there till you called me, and then I came straight home".

She looked at him and didn't say anything.

He started to get angry.

"What, you don't believe me? Fine, here is the receipt for the new tire". He pulled it out of his wallet and shoved it into her palm.

She looked at it and saw that it was indeed a receipt for a new tire.

"I never said I didn't believe you".

She handed it back to him.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I can't do this anymore-constantly wondering whether or not she's going to call, or send evidence or now, send flowers, taunting me. I am not the kind of woman who fights other women. I never have been. When I was dating Andy, and he cheated on me, I walked away. I didn't stay and fight, because that's not me."

"Jennifer, please don't walk away from me-from us. Please".

She didn't say anything.

"Why is she doing this to us? To you?"

"I have no idea. But I promise you, I will figure it out".

She leaned up against the bar.

He grabbed the bar phone and called Mark.

"Mark- Jonathan here. Listen, Charlie is still harassing Jennifer. First it was the phone calls, and now she sent her flowers telling her that she and I had a lovely morning together when we didn't. So, can you call her lawyer and tell her that if she wants to have a deposition, then she knocks off the harassment?"

"She's entitled to a deposition regardless, Jonathan".

"Ok. Well surely, you have some legal trick that you can pull to get her to leave my wife alone."

"I will send a cease-and-desist letter. We need to call the flower shop and find out for sure that she paid for the flowers, though".

"I will see what I can do".

They hung up.

He turned back to Jennifer.

"Are you going to be ok here, if I go back to the office?"

She nodded.

He wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you".

"I love you too. I'm sorry I have been such a bitch the last two days".

"Don't be silly. You have nothing to apologize for".

She let him hug her, and then he kissed her and went back to office.

"I'll see you tonight".

She nodded. She headed back to the study and started working on her article again.

***A few hours later***

Jennifer was still in the study when she decided to take a break. She got up and as she passed the intercom, it buzzed.

"Delivery for Jonathan Hart".

"Come on up".

She let them in the gate and opened the door.

It was a very large box, and had to be wheeled in with a dolly.

They put it down next to the stairs and she tipped them and then closed the door.

She went to the kitchen and made herself a salad, and was taking it to the study when she heard something coming from the box.

She looked at it, and then headed on back to the study.

Just as she was in the doorway of the study, she heard a loud noise again, and turned around. She dropped her salad as she heard the second noise, and realized that someone was in that box.

All of a sudden the cardboard fell to the floor, and there, crawling out of the box, was Charlie Watkins. She had a gun in her hand and pointed it at Jennifer.

"Don't move, or I swear, I'll kill you".


	8. Chapter 8

***Chapter 8***

***Hart Industries***

Jonathan was sitting at his desk. He was trying to focus on work, but all he could think about was Jennifer and what this mess with Charlie was doing to her. He felt so bad, like he had let her down. He loved her so much, he just knew that if he had slept with another woman, he would feel so guilty about it the next day. His head might not remember, but his heart certainly would.

He was sure now that she had changed the numbers before he fired her, just to try and get him alone. So, she had never been a trustworthy employee.

He picked up the photo album, and started looking at it again.

He was on the third marked photo, when Kelly came in the door, startling him.

He dropped the photo album.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hart. I was just going to tell you that the alarm company called, and said that there is a problem with the alarm system at your home that will necessitate them to turn it off".

"Ok thank you".

He picked up the photo album again, and opened it. This time it wasn't on a marked photo.

It was a photo of her, in bed with a sailboat. Confused, he flipped to the next one. Charlie, in bed with a rosebush. He flipped through all of them, and realized that the photos were double exposures. She had taken his picture over a roll of previously taken photos, and tried to use it to her advantage.

He got up and headed out, telling Kelly he was going home for the rest of the day.

He couldn't get home fast enough to Jennifer.

***Willow Pond***

Charlie made Jennifer go upstairs, with the gun to her back.

She forced her into the bathroom.

"Undress. Now".

Jennifer stared at her.

"NOW!"

She started to undress.

Charlie ran a bath, and forced Jennifer to get in.

"Now, this whole revelation of me sleeping with your husband has been very hard on you. You are going to take a nap in the bath, and not wake up. Simple as that".

She pulled out a bottle of water and crushed some sleeping pills into it. She shoved it into Jennifer's hand and forced her to drink it.

Jennifer had tears running down her cheeks.

"You don't have to do this, you know. If you want him, you can have him. I will walk away".

"Oh, isn't that cute? I don't want you to give him up, I want to take him from you, that's the whole point".

She put the gun down, and pulled out a long butcher knife.

"You see, you are the kind of woman that all other women hate. You always have the best of everything, and you don't leave anything for the rest of us. I am determined to rid the world of women like you, one at a time. As soon as I saw your picture on his desk, I knew I had to do this. I knew you were going to be trouble. So, I set out to make your life as miserable as possible, so that it would make sense that you killed yourself over the turmoil you were feeling".

Jennifer was beginning to feel sleepy from the medicines.

"Wake up!"

She jolted awake, as Charlie dragged a knife along her jawline.

"It's not enough that you are giving him to me- I have to take him from you. Girls like me, we have to take what we get, it's never handed to us, and it never comes naturally".

Jennifer was trying to listen, but she wanted to sleep so bad.

"You have the perfect body, the perfect house and the perfect life. You can't just give it to me, you have to lose it".

Charlie was rambling and Jennifer was losing the ability to listen.

Jonathan pulled up and parked and came inside.

He saw the box, and then he turned and saw the salad on the floor and the broken bowl.

He heard a loud noise upstairs, which was Charlie closing a cabinet.

He got his gun out of the table in the foyer, and crept upstairs.

He slowly tiptoed into their bedroom, and heard Charlie telling Jennifer that she was going to take her life.

He crept down the hallway and called the police.

"Come upstairs, 1st room on the left. Door is open. I will open the gate".

He hung up and crept back to the bedroom. He opened the gate, and then crossed to Jennifer's side of the room, and entered the bathroom from that side, and put the gun to Charlie's head.

"Hold it! Put your gun down, Charlie".

She turned around and flung her arms around his neck.

"Oh honey, you're here. I missed you".

He wrestled the gun from her and moved her aside.

He knelt to check on Jennifer.

She was unconscious.

"What did you do to her?"

"I eliminated her, honey, so that we can be together".

He decided to play along.

"This wasn't part of the plan, Charlie. We never agreed to killing her".

"It's the only way, honey. You wouldn't have been happy if she was still alive".

' _Nothing could be further from the truth'_.

"Honey, let's go. We don't want to stay here".

"We can't just leave her here, Charlie".

Charlie wasn't even listening, she was playing in Jennifer's jewelry.

"Honey, are you going to buy me pretty pieces like this?"

"Charlie, what did you give her?"

"Just a few sleeping pills…"

"How many?"

"8, 10, I don't know".

Jonathan lunged into the bathtub, and picked Jennifer up, and laid her on the carpet.

He grabbed a towel and tried to dry her off, and then grabbed her robe and covered her up.

He was holding her hand.

"Honey, you are supposed to pay attention to me, not her. Come on".

"In a minute Charlie".

He heard the police come in downstairs, and knew that it was all over.

"Charlie, you shouldn't have done this".

"I did it for us, Jonny. I did it so we can be together".

"My name is Jonathan. There is no us, and Jennifer is my wife".

The police came in then, and surprised her.

"Honey, why aren't you telling them to let me go?"

"Arrest her, please. She gave my wife sleeping pills. Call an ambulance".

He handed them her gun, her knife, and the water bottle from the trash.

They took her into custody amid her protests, and called an ambulance for Jennifer.

They quickly took his statement, and he held her hand as they loaded her onto the stretcher.

They wouldn't let him ride in the ambulance, so he followed right behind.

***LA Community Hospital***

Jonathan pulled up and parked, and rushed inside.

They had brought Jennifer in. She was breathing on her own, but she wasn't conscious.

They rushed her back to a treatment room, and told him to wait in Waiting room 2. He was pacing back and forth for what seemed like hours. He called the office, and asked Kelly to call Mark and have him meet him at the hospital.

After a couple of hours, the doctor came and talked to him.

"We had to pump her stomach. She has a touch of pneumonia, probably from the water, but we can treat that. She is going to be ok, but she isn't awake yet. We will need to keep her overnight, so we can treat her pneumonia. She's very lucky".

"Thank you, doctor".

Mark walked in, just as the doctor left.

"Jonathan, what is going on?"

"After I talked to you today, I was at the office looking at the photos. They were all double exposures. The rest of the album was full of pictures of her in bed with rose bushes, and boats. She must have taken those pics of me before I passed out, and set it up. While I was doing that, Charlie had herself delivered to the house in a box, and then got Jennifer, and forced her to take sleeping pills and then put her in a bath. I got home and found her threatening to kill Jennifer. Charlie thinks we are together, so I played along and told her this wasn't part of the plan, and waited till the cops got there to arrest her. They have the water bottle, the gun she used and the knife. They arrested her and I came here with Jennifer. She's unconscious, and they had to pump her stomach, and she has pneumonia. But she's going to be ok".

"Glad to hear it. Ok, so going forward, you stay here with her, Jonathan. I am going to the police station, to inform them about the rest of this, and hopefully we can get a confession out of her for all of it. I will keep you updated".

"Thanks, Mark".

The nurse came and took Jonathan to the room where Jennifer was going to be moved to, and told him she should be there in about 20 minutes.

He sat and waited. He just wanted to hold her so bad.

He went and got some coffee, and then came back.

As soon as the nurse brought her in and got her settled, he asked for a second bed for him to stay in.

"Right away, sir".

He pulled the chair next to her bed, and grabbed her hand.

She had an IV in her arm, and oxygen tubes in her nose. She looked like an angel, sleeping so peacefully.

"I love you, darling, and I am right here. When you wake up, I will be right here. Charlie is gone, and she isn't going to hurt us anymore. I love you so much, Red".

He didn't try to stop the tears from flowing. He hated crying, because he usually thought it was embarrassing, but she was worth it.

He sat there for what seemed like hours, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

Just before 9 p.m., Lt. Grey came by.

"Jonathan, I wanted you to know that Charlotte Watkins gave a full confession, that she set all of this up, and she admitted to trying to kill Jennifer. So, she was charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and extortion. She won't be given bail because she clearly needs a mental evaluation. She kept talking about how you and her are married and living this happy life".

"Thank you, Lt."

He left as the nurse came in, and checked Jennifer's vitals.

"I am going to give her the nighttime dose of her antibiotic, and she will probably sleep till morning. So, if you want to go home and get some rest…"

"No, I will stay here with her. But I am going to go home and get her some clothes and things, for when she wakes up. But I will be back".

He leaned down and kissed her a few times.

"I love you, Red. I am going home to get you some things and change clothes, but I will be right back. I love you so much".

He hurried home to Willow Pond.

***Willow Pond***

Jonathan came in and cleaned up the salad and the broken bowl, and then threw the flowers from Charlie in the garbage. The police had taken the cardboard box as evidence, so he didn't have to worry about that. He went upstairs and packed her a bag, with pajamas and her robe and slippers and an outfit for when she got to come home. He packed an extra nightgown just in case.

He went to the bathroom and packed her some of her hygiene stuff, and then he grabbed her pillowcases and zipped the bag shut.

He changed clothes quickly, and then packed himself a bag, and then left.

He ran through a drive thru, and got a most unhealthy meal, that he knew she would get mad at him for eating, and ate it on the way to see her.

He was back at her bedside as soon as he could be, and changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed next to her.

He snuggled up to her and kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight, darling, I love you so much".


	9. Chapter 9

***Chapter 9***

***The next morning***

Jonathan woke up around 7, when the morning nurse came in to check Jennifer's vitals. She gave her a dose of her antibiotic, and told Jonathan as soon as she woke up, she could have a bath.

"She can have water when she wakes up, or ice chips, but no food till she sees the doctor. And she had her stomach pumped, so she will be sore around her ribs and stomach for a few days. Days 2 and 3 are usually the worst".

He nodded.

"Thank you".

"She should be waking up in the next few hours".

He couldn't wait.

He laid back down, and laced his fingers through hers, and kissed the back of her hand.

"We've been through so much, darling. We can't let this tear us apart. Come on Red, I'm right here".

He kissed her lightly, and then closed his eyes again to rest some more.

A few hours later, he woke up. His hand was being moved.

"Darling, I'm right here. It's ok".

She stirred a little, and then moved her head.

"Hurts".

"I know, it's ok. We can get you some medicine".

She nodded.

She coughed, and then grimaced, and then opened her eyes.

"Hi darling".

"Hi gorgeous". He kissed her cheek.

"Why are we here?"

"Because of yesterday, Jennifer".

"Yesterday?"

He nodded. "Try to remember".

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillow.

Suddenly, her eyes popped open and she looked at him.

"I was so mean to you, darling. I'm so sorry".

"No, I am talking about Charlie".

"I don't want to talk about her".

"Jennifer-stay with me here. Charlie came to the house and forced you to take a bath. Remember that?"

She slowly nodded.

"And she made me drink some water with sleeping pills".

"Yes, that's right. I came home and found her in the bathroom with you, and called the police. I pulled you out of the bathtub, and then you were brought here by ambulance."

"She said you and her planned this together".

"Not true. I played along with her plan to keep you safe in the bathroom, but that was it. This was all her".

She had a coughing fit and he helped her sit up. He got her some water, and paged the nurse.

"Jennifer, I was looking at the photos at the office. She staged them. They were double exposures. The rest of the album is her in bed with all kinds of things. And if you look at the photos of me and her, the beds don't match".

"So it's all over?"

"It's over, and it never happened in the first place".

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Are you mad at me?"

"Not in the slightest. I love you. And in your shoes, I probably wouldn't have believed me either".

"I love you, Jonathan. I should have been more understanding".

"It's fine. All that matters now is getting you well".

"What's wrong with me?"

"Well, she gave you those sleeping pills, and they had to pump your stomach. And because you swallowed so much water, you have a touch of pneumonia that they are giving you antibiotics for. You should be able to go home in a day or two. I went home last night and packed you a bag and then came back, so if you want to put on your nightgown, you can".

"You are so good to me".

She leaned over and kissed him.

The doctor came in and assessed her, and told her she could take a shower when her antibiotic iv bag was empty.

"You will probably get to go home tomorrow, provided you don't get a fever today, and I will switch you to pills to take for your antibiotic for a few days. You are going to have to take it easy though".

She nodded.

"Can I eat something?"

"Yes, that's fine".

The nurse handed her an order form, and she ordered both of them breakfast.

They ordered waffles, and sliced fruit, and bacon, and juice.

Lt. Grey came by to check on her, and took her statement about what happened the day before.

"Thanks Jennifer, this will help in the case against her. She is charged with attempted murder of you, assault with a deadly weapon, and extortion. The extortion charge is a felony, so she will definitely get at least 10 years on that alone".

"Wow. I never thought all this would end up this way".

"Me either."

Lt. Grey told them goodbye, and headed out.

Jonathan was laying there against the bed, holding Jennifer's hand.

"Darling, what is it?"

"I can't believe I almost lost you".

"Darling, I am right here. We would have found our way back to each other, eventually, I am sure. Plus, I feel like I brought this on myself".

"How could you have possibly brought this on yourself?"

"Well, you and I had that horrible fight on the way to the airport. You know how I feel about energies, darling. Fights are negative energy. If I had been more understanding, then maybe the energy surrounding us would have been positive and not negative".

"Jennifer, Charlie did this. Not you. She planned this whole thing. When I got to the bathroom yesterday, she was rambling to you about how girls like you get everything they ever wanted and how girls like her have to take what they want".

"I remember her saying something like that. And I have to apologize, darling, because I told her she could have you. But I only said that to get her to stop pointing a gun at me, I didn't really mean it".

"It's ok. I understand".

She snuggled up to him and fell asleep with her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her and happily held her as she slept.

***A few hours later***

Jonathan had Jennifer's favorite salad, and a sandwich for him delivered for lunch. She slept till the middle of the afternoon, and was itching to get a shower.

The nurse came and disconnected her IV, and took the oxygen tubes off her, and Jonathan helped her into the shower.

"Will you stay in the bathroom with me, darling?"

"Absolutely".

She got tired about ½ way through, so he undressed and got in with her and washed her hair for her, and scrubbed her back.

He helped her out of the shower and helped her dry off, and then she got into her nightgown and slippers.

She settled back into the bed and ate her salad and then the nurse came back and reconnected her IV and oxygen.

She listened to her lungs a bit, and told her they were sounding better.

She and Jonathan laid around and watched TV, and just enjoyed being together.

"Darling, as soon as you are able, I promise, you and I are going to go back to New York and redo our trip".

"I would love that".

"Jennifer, something you said yesterday has been bothering me. Remember when I came home after you got the flowers, and you said that when other women tried to steal your man you didn't fight, you just walked away?"

"Mmm Hmmm. I remember".

"Darling, you did fight. You didn't walk away. You didn't let me walk away either. Don't you see? You are a fighter, and that's just one of the many reasons I love you".

"I guess you're right. I was so scared that we weren't going to make it through this".

"I know, I was scared too. Losing you would have been the worst thing that could have happened to me, nothing else would have mattered at all. Nobody else is going to honor you the way that I do, or love you like you should be loved, And I have to know that you are happy, otherwise I can't function".

"Oh Jonathan, that's so sweet".

She kissed him.

"I love you, Mr. H".

"I love you too, Mrs. H."

He kissed her and held her as she settled in for another nap.

***Epilogue***

Jonathan brought Jennifer home from the hospital the next day. The board approved all of his new policy changes and recommended a few of their own.

Charlie failed her mental evaluation, so the judge remanded her to a state mental facility till she could be fit to stand trial.

It had been almost a month since the whole ordeal. Jennifer was finally feeling like herself again.

Jonathan was in the kitchen making her breakfast, and was going to surprise her with it in bed.

He carried the tray upstairs and set it on the nightstand.

He gently woke her up.

"Darling, wake up… I have a surprise for you".

She stirred and rolled over.

"Breakfast in bed".

"Oh what a lovely surprise".

She looked at the tray.

Under the plate was a present.

"Jonathan, what's this?"

"Open it and see".

She kissed him and then opened it.

It was tickets to some shows on Broadway.

"Look at the dates, darling".

"Tomorrow! When do we leave?"

"As soon as we get packed".

She kissed him several times.

"I love you, Jonathan Charles."

"I love you, Red".


End file.
